


The Adventures of Hidden Block (And Hana Mizuno)

by EllieofMidnight



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club, Hidden Block (Video Blogging RPF)
Genre: I never know what to put here, Multi, Multichapter, Road Trip, so hype
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-08 18:55:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7769227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieofMidnight/pseuds/EllieofMidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hana isn't sure what she got herself into by agreeing to join the rest of Hidden Block on a road trip but, hey, at least it's bound to be fun! ...Right..?<br/>(Updated every Sunday; currently on a small hiatus)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Road Trip!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for checking this out! Please note that this is just a setup, introduction chapter, it'll get more detailed later! <3

Whoever said road trips were a good idea was an idiot. Whoever it was that decided that a road trip with the entirety of Hidden Block was a good idea was an even bigger idiot. But then again, Hana _had_ joined them, so… did that make her the biggest idiot of them all? 

She glanced around the group, studying the myriad of tired faces in the dim morning light, and she smiled. The boys were slumped against each other's’ shoulders in an attempt to catch up on at least a small amount of sleep while… still standing up? She wasn’t sure how that was supposed to work, but she wouldn’t knock it, it was a ridiculous time in the morning, after all. Surely the car should’ve been here by now...

“Good morning...” Hana blinked in surprise when she heard the low, gravelly notes of Luke’s voice, an arm slung around her shoulders and he let his head rest against the top of her’s, smothering a quiet yawn into her hair. Everything about him was.. Soft at this time in the morning, a sleepy smile tugging at his lips, and he seemed to be in a quiet daze that she didn’t want to disturb. She reached up to gently run her fingers through the hair that poked out of the bottom of his hat and lay, fluffed up, against his neck with a quiet ‘good morning’, just glad that he wasn’t the one driving today.

But now that she thought about it... Hana looked over at where Ian was settled up against the wall of the gate, bag haphazardly balancing on his shoulder, every so often blinking himself awake, as if he’d just been startled out of a dream. Was he really the best choice for a driver? Especially when it didn’t seem like he could keep his eyes open for more than a couple of seconds at a time? And when he was slowly slipping down the wall towards the ground?

This was it. This was the day she died.

Hana turned her attention to the rest of the group, a small smile spreading back across her face. Jimmy seemed to be asleep, blanket wrapped around him in some kind of burrito as he settled pretty comfortably against Wallid’s side, the two of them sat on the damp, dewy grass.  
Caddy was drowsily checking and double checking his bags, searching through them in a way that suggested he was looking for something, although Hana couldn’t think of what it could be.  
It really was a tight knit friendship group, despite all the constant arguing and commotion, and she realised she just how lucky she was to have managed to wiggle her way in.

The only person that wasn’t half dead, it seemed, was Jeff, who was apparently trying to get everybody hyped for the ride ahead, the club’s own personal cheerleader. Hana wasn’t sure how well that was going to go over, especially seeing as Ian and Caddy looked ready to shut him up for good and by any means necessary, but at least he was trying.

“Car!” Luke’s voice rang out across what felt like the entire campus and Hana frowned, opening her mouth to chastise him about potentially waking everyone up, but she quickly shut it again when she noticed the vehicle pull up in front of the gates. It… wasn’t what she had expected, that was for sure. 

“Uh..” Hana cleared her throat and gently tugged at Luke’s sleeve, watching Jeff prod Ian in the side to wake him up, only to get his hand swatted away with an irritated grunt, “Is… Are we all going to fit in that?”

Luke raised an eyebrow and glanced from Hana to the car and then back again, “What? Yeah, of course! It'll be fine!” He faltered, his eyes falling on the way Ian seemed to be muttering something to himself as he juggled the keys in his hand. He didn’t seem happy. “Uh.. I mean… It should be, right? We’ve never really done anything like this before, so..”

Great. Hana sighed and nodded, pulling her bag closer to her. This could only go well. She followed Luke towards the car, standing back to let Caddy gently place a sleeping Jimmy into the backseat, before immediately changing direction and calling out ‘shotgun’, much to Ian’s disgust.

“You’re _not_ sitting up front with me.” He muttered, leaning against the door and shaking his head.

“Well, where am I meant to go, then?!”

“James, you can sit on the damn roof for all I care.”

Hana tuned out at the point, simply focusing on Luke’s gentle breathing as she nestled against his chest. It wasn’t like she had much choice anyway, a five seater car was never going to be big enough for seven of them, matters had to be taken into their own hands. It was cosy, at least, and she wasn’t about to complain about being so close and personal; Luke really did smell great. Earthy and natural, whatever the deodorant or cologne he was wearing was, she definitely approved.

Caddy must’ve lost the argument because the next thing Hana knew, he was shoved up against the other door, pouting and folding his arms, like a teenager that had just been sent to his room by an angry dad. Hana’s gaze turned to Ian, peering around the headrest to get a better view. He looked tired, fingers drumming on the steering wheel as he waited for Jeff to get settled in the seat beside him, but nodded a silent thanks when he was passed a coffee that the other must’ve rushed back to pick up during the carnage. Anything to prevent them from being driven into a tree.

Hana glanced back over her shoulder towards the academy, an excitement in her heart. She’d never really been on a trip before, her dad couldn’t really afford it, so all this was strange and new and an _adventure_. She felt bad for leaving Mai behind, but she had shrugged it off, telling her that she had a volleyball tournament anyway and to have fun without her. Although, Hana wasn’t entirely sure that it wasn’t just because Mai still thought Hidden Block were a little.. Bizarre.

She turned her head to survey the group and her heart melted a little. It really was like a family outing; Wallid and Jimmy were still out like lights, their heads gently pressed up against each other’s in the cramped space of the backseat, Caddy was still sulking, impatiently tapping his foot on the floor and Luke seemed pretty content, humming quietly to himself as the engine roared to life.

“Okay. We all ready to go?” Jeff looked back at the group, a happy twinkle in his eye and a bright grin stretching across his face, “This is gonna be great, I can just tell!”

Ian didn’t seem so sure, he rolled his eyes and turned his gaze back towards the road, shaking his head, “If anyone’s forgotten anything, tough luck. I’m not going back.”

And that was that. The start of possibly the biggest adventure of Hana’s life.


	2. Are We There Yet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cramped cars aren't fun at the best of times, especially when no one travelling has any sense of direction and constantly need to be entertained.

“Are we there yet?”

Hana wasn’t sure how long they’d be driving for, long enough for her legs to start cramping up in the small space, and she couldn’t tell for sure that they were lost, but there was definitely a slight possibility, especially judging by the fact that Jeff seemed to be frantically trying to get a map up on his phone from the front seat. Although, in retrospective, that wasn’t entirely surprising once it turned out that, despite having planned this elaborate trip out, none of the club had taken the initiative to come up with a route. Or a destination.

“Are we the--”

“I swear to god, Jimmy; if you ask me that one more time…”

Hana sighed. It was hard enough with all seven of them shoved into a car that was barely big enough for five, but now they had an irate driver at the wheel, buzzing and skittish on way too much coffee she hastened to add. Sure, Jeff had probably meant well by giving it to him, and Luke and Wallid had occasionally pitched in with energy drinks, just to keep Ian going, but… Maybe he should’ve just… Stopped driving if he was getting tired instead of pushing himself and putting the rest of them in danger? He was far too stubborn for his own good sometimes…

She blinked in surprise when she felt a quick jab in her side and glanced over at Jimmy, head tilting in confusion. He nodded over at the front seat, a dangerous glint in his eyes, and Hana immediately regretted every looking in his direction. She knew where this was going.

She swallowed hard and peered past the youngest two members to try and gauge Caddy’s reaction, but he seemed far too engaged in whatever game he was playing on his phone to take much interest. Strange… Was he… blooming flowers? He didn’t seem the sort to get so into connect 4 games but, well, stranger things had happened.  
Luke was hardly helpful either, his head propped up against the window, mouth slightly open and his hat pulled down over his eyes to block out the slowly setting sun. He did look pretty adorable though… So at peace with the world.

Hana sighed, a sudden nervousness washing over her as she leant forward, resting her chin against the back of Ian’s seat, Jimmy’s terrifying grin visible out of the corner of her eye. She tried to ignore it. 

“U-Um… H-Hey, Ian..?” Hana’s chest tightened as she watched Ian tense suspiciously at the mention of his name, his shoulders slumping back down when he realised that it was just her. It made her feel a little more comfortable. 

“Hm? What is it?” His voice was calm and collected, his fingers drumming on the wheel every now and then, glancing over to check the map on Jeff’s phone and muttering under his breath when he apparently missed the turning to wherever they were meant to be going. _He should really be watching the road._

Hana opened her mouth, her tongue suddenly dry. It was a simple thing to say, so why was she suddenly panicking? She’d have to make her mark on this trip somehow anyway, just to prove she really did belong here, so why not now? She could finally fit in somewhere. She’d finally have some real friends.

“Well?”

She snapped out of her thoughts to the sound of Ian’s voice, cold blue-grey eyes watching her expectantly through the mirror. Jeff had turned around too, a soft smile on his face but a trace of concern in his gaze. Did he think something was wrong? Or did he just know what she was up to? Either way, Hana smiled back, deciding to stop herself from glaring across at Jimmy when she felt a sharp tap of a foot against her leg, urging her on.

“Oh, um… I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

“Are…” Hana glanced out the window, watching the trees race past them, clouds pushing their way across the evening sky. Man, she wished she could be out there right now, instead of taking some stupid makeshift initiation test. “Are we there yet?”

The entire car seemed to fall still. Well, still apart from the helpless laughter of Jimmy in the seat but one beside her. Ian froze, a look of betrayal and annoyance crossing his face. He didn’t seem angry though, so maybe that was a good sign? And even though he muttered a soft “I hate you” under his breath, it didn’t seem malicious at all. Maybe she’d survive. It was just a joke.

That was until Jimmy started the chanting. It was quiet at first, barely audible in fact, but then he started getting louder, shoving Wallid’s side to get him to join in too. It was then that Hana realised what she had to do, the sudden adrenaline rushing through her body as Jimmy eyes sparkled in the dying light, Ian’s shoulders grew more and more tense and Caddy finally looked up from his phone to see what was going on.

She joined in.

It didn’t take long before the car was filled with chanting and laughing, the occasional mind numbing song taking over when anyone got bored. It continued like that for a while, Hana lost track of the exact length of time, but she was sure it must’ve been hours and she could see the irritation flooding out of every one of Ian’s pores, his fingers, now white-knuckled, gripping at the steering wheel as if he were about to pull it off. But he didn’t say anything. Instead he simply shook his head, staring dead ahead, shrugging Jeff’s hand off his shoulder when he attempted to calm him down, albeit through stifled laughter.

“I am going to kill everyone in this car, including myself.”

“Ian, c’mon.” Jeff laughed, gently elbowing his shoulder, “Don’t be such a drama queen.”

Ian turned his head to stare across at Jeff, a deep frown scratched into his forehead, “Oh, I’m deadly serious. I could drive us off a cliff and no one would ever be able to find us.” He turned his head to look back at the chaos in the back seat and Hana suddenly felt a wash of fear pulse over her. She was pretty sure he was joking. But there was something in his eyes that made her feel uneasy, that he’d probably do it if he was pushed far enough.

“Do you even know where we’re supposed to be going?” Hana looked up in surprise, her eyes flicking over to the other side of the cramped car. It was the first time she’d heard Caddy speak in a strangely long period of time. Although, now that he had, she almost wished that he’d kept his mouth closed. “Maybe we should’ve picked someone more practical to drive.”

Ian span around in his seat, one hand resting limply on top of the wheel as Jeff dived across to grab hold of it, turning it a little to the right so they wouldn’t go careening off the road and into oncoming traffic. “You wanna say that to my face?”

Caddy straightened, a new found energy surging through him, a sharp grin tugging at his lips, “Fine.” He leant forward and Hana resisted the urge to cry. This was it. She was going to die. They hadn’t even gotten to a city yet and their trip was already going to be over. 

She turned her head to look up at Luke, hoping to god that maybe he’d be able to fix the disarray, but she deflated as soon as she set eyes on his face. Was he really still asleep?? She knew he was a heavy sleeper, but this was ridiculous. Hana tugged at his sleeve, heart pounding in her chest as she watched the car swerve out of the window. Thank god for roads in the middle of nowhere.

Hana breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Jeff managed to guide the car in the direction of a small field, only a few meters from the main road, and Ian back into his seat, the heat of the argument still thick in the air. But at least Jimmy and Wallid seemed pleased with themselves.

“So.. We’re just… staying here tonight?” Jimmy raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to look out the window. There really didn’t seem to be much around, that was for sure. But Jeff seemed pleased enough and he nodded, clambering out of the car with a happy laugh.

“Yep! Looks like it! It’ll be just like a campout!” 

Hana wasn’t sure about that but she shrugged anyway, just glad that they could get out and stretch their legs. She shuffled towards the door, not wanting to disturb Luke just yet, and smiled to herself. If things were going to be this exhilarating all the time, maybe she had made the right choice of club, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed and I didn't disappoint anyone! I'm not so sure about this chapter, personally, but thank you for reading! <3


	3. Sweet Summer Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple camp out with friends. S'mores, music and fluff, a perfect combination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! On holiday for a week with terrible wifi so writing and getting this up was hard! Please forgive me! There'll be a new chapter on Sunday as normal! <3

Hana didn’t know what she expected to happen that night. Sure, she’d been on camps before, but they usually included a tent, sleeping bags and a couple of other people who, back then, were still friends. But this was an entirely different situation. She cast a glance around the field, a soft smile spreading across her face. They’d only been here for maybe half an hour, but things had already turned to chaos. 

Jimmy, Ian and Caddy were digging through the bags in the trunk, a heated argument unfolding about how they were meant to “ration” the food out between them and she was pretty sure she noticed Jimmy slip a few pieces of food into his pockets.  
Wallid was pretty busy studying the bugs that floated in the breeze or climbed the blades of grass, and Jeff was trying to get the fire started. Although… She wasn’t sure whether even he should be trusted with a lighter, not after the rumours she’d heard about him, a makeshift cannon and some hamsters.

A sudden touch on her shoulder made her jump and spin around, relaxing when Luke’s sleep filled gaze peered down at her. She smiled back and took hold of his hand, pulling him over to the bonfire.

***

The sun slowly dipped down behind the horizon and the field was shrouded in dim dusk, the only real light the bright glow from the fire. This was nice. The group, although still a little hyped over the trip itself, had begun to settle down, raucous laughter now a quiet murmur of occasional chuckling. Hana sighed, her head tipping back against Luke’s chest and her hands gently playing with his fingers. If only they were like this all the time, it was a much more pleasant atmosphere to be around. Although, now that she thought about, maybe they needed the chaos to appreciate the calm. Besides, they were exciting, a constant rush of adrenaline.

Hana was snapped out of her thoughts when Ian suddenly spoke up again, raising an eyebrow and a small, devilish looking grin passed across his lips for a split second, so fast that she wasn’t even sure she saw it. “We brought alcohol with us, right?” There seemed to be a pause in all conversation, a thoughtful silence exchanged between them, as if they were all communicating telepathically, a conversation that she wasn’t invited to. It was both impressive and a little concerning.

“I.. I’ve never really had anything to drink before…” Hana watched nervously as Jeff and Ian stood, making their way over to the car, and she turned her head to look up at Luke, his chin resting on top of her head, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. He smiled and shook his head, gently swaying the both of them from side to side.

“It’s not big deal.” He glanced over at Jimmy and Wallid, “We don’t let those two drink so you don’t have to. Besides,” He turned his attention back to Hana, pressing a kiss to her hair, “We’re not gonna get _drunk_ , it’s just.. A nice way to loosen up. I promise.” He laughed softly and ran his fingers up and down her sides, “No funny business.”

Hana wasn’t entirely sure that he was being truthful, but she did know that she was safe at least. She trusted Luke absolutely, whether that was a sensible thing to do or not, she wasn’t sure. But the way that he held her, kept her close enough to him that she could feel his heartbeat against her back, the soft rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, made her feel... secure. His presence enough to calm all of her nerves.

She only looked away when she heard hushed voices approaching them again, Jeff and Ian’s arms laden with bottles, and what looked like the necessary ingredients for s’mores, as they swapped quiet whispers. Hana couldn’t tell but Ian looked… flushed? Had he already been drinking or was it simply the effect of the fire light? She wasn’t sure, but when he passed her a bottle, he seemed relatively composed again, an eyebrow cocked. She took it with nervous fingers and looked at it with a small frown. It didn’t exactly look the best but, hey, if people drank it then it must’ve been good, right?

It wasn’t.

Caddy’s laugh pierced the air as her face screwed up in disgust, swallowing the liquid with a noise similar to if she’d just taken a swig of drain fluid. “You people _drink_ this stuff?!” She exclaimed, scowling at the five amused faces looking back at her and, although she couldn’t see Luke, she was pretty sure he was suppressing the same kind of laughter, judging by the way his shoulders were trembling slightly against her own.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Luke grinned, reaching around to press a kiss to Hana’s cheek and gently tapping the neck of his bottle against her own, “But, uh, cheers?” She huffed and shook her head, turning her gaze across the field. Everyone seemed so happy tonight. There was no arguing, no fighting, no little bits of drama that would be resolved over the next thirty seconds. It was peaceful. 

Hana was the most happy, however, when the sticks were handed around, a marshmallow stabbed onto the end of each. The group shuffled closer to the fire, the heat bordering on the line between welcome and unbearable, and proceeded to waft their marshmallows through the flames, making idle chit chat as they did so. She couldn’t help but notice the group dynamic as they toasted. Especially seeing as Jeff and Ian seemed to be sitting… pretty close to each other. Or was she just imagining that..?

The evening slowly crept into night and the s’mores were swapped for a guitar and a campfire singalong, much to Ian and Caddy’s disgust. Hana shuffled off of Luke’s lap and went sit between Jimmy and Wallid, happy to just listen to the gentle guitar strumming, Luke’s fingers delicately plucking at the strings, a focus on his face that she’d never really seen before.

And then he started singing and her heart stopped. Sure, Hana had heard him rap before, but his singing was something new. It was soothing and she wished that she could listen to it forever. That was until her eyes slowly drooped closed, her head tipping to the side every now and then until she caught herself an inch from Wallid’s shoulder and snapped awake. Although, she was pretty grateful when he patted his shoulder as an open invitation.

Hana blinked awake after a while, shifting with a soft groan. She let her eyes adjust to the darkness for a moment, sitting up before noticing something fall into her lap. She frowned and plucked at it, the material soft beneath her fingers. A blanket? She smiled and squinted through the dark, trying to make out where everyone else was. Now that the fire had been extinguished, it was difficult to see much of anything, but she was pretty sure she could see the sleeping forms of her clubmates. 

It really was beautiful out tonight. The moon was bright and cast a soft glow onto the ground, the stars sparkling among the clouds, she really didn’t think there was much that could beat this. Until she felt arms back around her waist and a soft, tired kiss against her neck, “What’re you doing up?”

“Oh, just… looking at the stars. They’re really pretty.”

“Not as pretty as you.”

Hana rolled her eyes and smiled, turning her head to meet Luke’s gaze, “Okay.” She murmured, a light blush spreading across her cheeks, “Let’s go back to sleep? We’ll be driving a lot tomorrow…” She wrapped the blanket around their shoulders and gently guided them back down to the grass, sighing softly when Luke almost immediately fell back to sleep.

This was perfect.


	4. Kitchen Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to eat! Or... in this case, maybe not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schedule should be back to normal now and new chapters should keep happening every Sunday! <3

The morning was warm and calm as they bundled back into the car, only this time Hana found herself sat up front with Luke at the wheel and hoping to anybody watching that maybe this time they’d get somewhere without fearing for her life. She relaxed against the seat as the rest of the group clambered in behind her, the sunlight hitting the side of her face in just the right way to feel it crawl down her neck, warming her entire being.

Luke was a calming presence beside her as they drove, music filtering out of the radio and Hana wondered why they never did this earlier. Sure, they had their issues, a bit of tame fighting every now and then, but it was at times like this that she wasn’t sure what had made them put it off for so long. 

But then it started and Hana immediately regretted cursing her luck.

She didn’t know the song that had started playing, or why it was such a big deal, but Luke quickly perked up, sitting up straight behind the wheel and Hana knew that they were in trouble. He reached over and turned the volume up, music blasting through the car and startling those that were still half asleep. And then all hell broke loose.

Through the rear view mirror, she noticed Caddy’s face pressed dangerously close to Ian’s ear as he sang, loudly and out of tune, directly into the side of his face while the elder trembled with annoyance, jaw set and fists clenched. Jeff was doing his best to break the two of them apart, leaning across Ian to pry their shoulders away from each other, while Jimmy seemed to be cheering, discussing with Wallid who he’d bet on in a fight. Hana was just glad that she didn’t have to sit back there this time.

A hand settled on her leg and she jumped, turning her head to look over at Luke, his bright grin calming all of her unease. It was strange, the way he managed to do that. It shouldn’t have been so easy… She smiled and set her own hand on top, gently squeezing his fingers. Oh well, she wouldn’t complain.

“Hey! When’re we stopping for food?” Hana’s head turned to look back over her shoulder. Everything _seemed_ to be back to normal, except that, somehow, Jeff had wriggled his way in between Caddy and Ian, apparently having crawled across; but at least that meant they weren’t fighting anymore. Right..?

“Oh! You’re right!” Luke tapped his fingers on the wheel and hummed quietly to himself, glancing around the road, as if something was just going to appear out of nowhere and present a full platter of breakfast to them. “We’ll stop at the next place we go past. Need to fill up with gas, anyway.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea..?” Ian raised an eyebrow from where he was pressed against the door and Hana was sure she could sense a warning in the way he spoke, a silent plea to not stop at whatever run down place they found on the side of the road. She didn’t blame him, but Luke simply laughed and waved a dismissive hand.

“It’ll be fiine! What’s the worst that could happen?”

***

Hana wished that he never asked.

They stood staring at the building with a shared feeling of dread, although some of them were more successful hiding it than others. She swallowed hard and studied the station for a moment. It was definitely run down, that was for sure. Paint peeling off the walls, one window boarded up, probably to block off the broken glass scattered around underneath, the sign precariously hanging off the wall by a single remaining nail.

“One of us is about to die.” Jimmy leant back against the car, arms folded across his chest and a deep frown set into his forehead. Hana looked from him to the building and then around the rest of the group, thankful to find that they all seemed just as on edge as she felt. This.. wasn’t somewhere she particularly wanted to eat…

“The rest of us are bound to get food poisoning. It doesn’t look the most hygienic.” Ian shrugged, glancing back over his shoulder at the car, “We should just get back in and find somewhere else that won’t end in none of us coming out.”

Apparently the new found negative attitude wasn’t sitting well with Jeff because he immediately sprung into action, grabbing hold of Ian’s wrist and dragging him towards the building, a grin on his face, “C’mon! It’s gonna be fine! You’re hungry, right? Then let’s go eat!” Maybe that was just him trying to keep the peace, or trying to make sure everyone actually ate but he still didn’t look all that convinced himself, especially as the smile began to falter once they got through the doors.

The inside wasn’t much better than the outside. The lights flickered and the tables didn’t look like they’d been cleaned for the past month, the stale smell of damp and dust floating around in the air. “Well… Isn’t this lovely?” Caddy rolled his eyes and huffed out a small, disgruntled sigh, raising an eyebrow as Wallid carefully made his way past them, a slightly wary smile on his face.

“W-Well, we’re here now!” He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets, “I’ll go see if they have a table!” Hana admired his enthusiasm and his optimism, she wished that she could share it in times like this. She glanced up at Luke, catching his lips twitch into a frown of disapproval, eyes narrowing as he looked around the place, only for it to disappear almost completely when he noticed her looking, an arm wrapping supportively around her waist. Hana wasn’t convinced. 

Especially when she felt something warm and furry cross her feet.

She jumped, squealed and gripped onto Luke’s jacket, watching as the long tail disappeared behind the counter. “It probably just wasn’t expecting company.” Hana turned her head to look up at Ian, who seemed to be eyeing it with a strange kind of curiosity, “I hear they make good pets. Apparently they’re meant to absorb stress like a sponge.” She wasn’t so sure about that one but he seemed to know what he was talking about in any case so she’d trust him… Unless it came back to take a chunk out of her ankles.

Wallid waved the group over from a table he’d been directed to, although having looked around, she wasn’t entirely sure that it would’ve been a struggle to find an empty space on their own and she was pretty sure she saw Jimmy and Caddy visibly shudder at the thought of sitting down on any of these seats. The waitress, stinking of old cigarettes and grease, who must’ve been in her late 50s at least, threw down a couple of menus, muttered something about giving them a minute and turned on her heel to head back towards the kitchen. 

Hana wasn’t sure what she expected when they ordered and their food came, but… it wasn’t quite what she got. Somehow, and she wasn’t sure how it was possible, her pancakes looked… dead. Pale and floppy, as if every bit of goodness had been drained from them. She felt a little bad for them. Prodding the breakfast with a fork, she glanced over at the boys sat around her, sad looking slices of bacon lying limply on plates and… what was _that_?! She yelped in surprise, stood up and reached over, knocking the fork from Jeff’s lips and watching it scatter across the floor as… _something_ crawled off it and into the dark depths, “That’s it! We’re leaving!”

***

Hana slumped back against the seat and tipped her head back to look up at the roof. The sun didn’t feel quite so relaxing now, it was hot and sticky and made her want to take a shower even more than she had done back in the diner. She watched Luke fill up the car out of the corner of her eye, the grumbling of voices a pleasant background noise. She’d gotten used to it now, it was almost as if she was home. Hana glanced over when Luke slid back into the driver’s seat and he smiled.

“Ready to go?”

“Definitely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


	5. You, Me and the Sea (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sand between your toes, the taste of salt in the air, the screams of guys as they throw each other into the ocean...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this one's a couple of days late! I hope you enjoy though! <3

Hana had never really seen the coast before, well, okay, that wasn’t strictly true. She’d visited a couple of times with her parents, they’d take the occasional trip down to the beach on the odd summer, but she was so young that she barely remembered it. So when it was suggested that they dropped by the sea while they were passing by, her heart leapt in excitement and the rest of the car seemed to be just as enthused. Well, except for Ian, but that seemed to be a relatively normal dynamic. Apparently the ocean was too big, too treacherous, and he’d had some experience with a jellyfish? Hana didn’t thinking asking was a good idea.

The quiet of the countryside soon split to reveal the bright yellows and blues of the beach and Hana was sure that she could smell the salt in the air even from inside the car. The buzz of excitement was palpable and she was certain that Luke was practically vibrating in the driver’s seat. 

“We’re finally here!” He laughed, hitting his hand against the wheel and leaning across Hana to get a better look out of her window, although why he couldn’t just wait until the car had at least _stopped_ was lost on her.

“At least get us there in one piece, for god’s sake.” Ian muttered, reaching forward to shove Luke back into his seat, “I don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about anyway, it’s just a bit of warm dirt and some water.” Hana wanted to argue, tell him that it was something so much more than that, that it was happiness and sunshine and… Well, no, he was right. It really was just how he’d described if you thought about it literally.

“But it’s beautiful dirt?” She offered Ian a small, hopeful smile but he simply shook his head and her hope fell as she huffed out a soft sigh. Hana turned her gaze back out the window and watched the ocean creep closer and closer, the gentle waves lapping against the shore, the muffled cries of seagulls. It was all so familiar and yet, at the same time, an entirely new experience.

Once they’d pulled up, the car emptied within seconds, doors flying open before they’d really stopped, the clamour of voices mingling outside, the peace shattered. She was sure any other holiday makers would be _thrilled_ to welcome such a rowdy group of teenagers to their little seaside town.

Hana smiled to herself as she climbed out of the car, the heat of the sun balanced out with the pleasant ocean breeze, the screeching of the birds, although terrifying up close, made her feel as if this was where she belonged. Before she could bring herself out of her train of thought completely, a bag was thrown at her face and she stumbled back, hands flailing to keep a hold of it.

“Sorry!” Caddy’s grin came back into focus as Hana adjusted her glasses, knocked askew on impact, and she opened her mouth to tell him it was fine, but was quickly interrupted by the argument that had apparently taken priority. Something about not killing someone before the trip had even really started? She didn’t really know. She’d stopped paying attention to whatever Ian and Caddy’s daily argument was.

Hana held the bag against her chest and smiled softly, looking out over the stretch of beach, the wind whipping through her hair. Long arms draped over her shoulders and she looked up, the bill of a familiar snapback casting a shadow on her face. “You should go get changed.” He nodded at the bag and she lowered her gaze back down to her hands. Oh.. Right…

The idea of getting into her swimsuit in front of, well, so many guys was a little bit off putting to say the least, even if at least two of them definitely weren’t going to care what she looked like. But getting into it in front of _Luke_? It was enough to make her feel as if her entire insides were being twisted by a vice. She hated the way she looked, there was nothing exactly feminine about her; she didn’t have the curves that people like Mai had, for example. She was a stick. A walking, talking stick with a mop of pink hair.

“R-Right.” Hana nodded, nervously fumbling with the bag and glancing over to a small row of changing booths, “I’ll just… be going then.” 

***  
Stepping out into the heat in her costume was… refreshing at least. She could finally feel the cool air on her skin, the warm sand against her toes. It was nice but there was still a thought playing at the back of her mind; what exactly was Luke going to think when he saw her? Would it turn him away? Hana swallowed hard and manoeuvred herself to cover as much of her body as possible, it would be fine if she could just keep herself like this.

“Woah!” She looked up and turned her head in the direction of the voice, no, _voices_ that she hadn’t even noticed before. Luke was practically running across the sand, stumbling on his own feet and the loose grains as he did so and Hana squealed when, in a flurry of activity, the ground disappeared beneath her as Luke lifted her into his arms, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist. She flushed, realising that she could actually feel Luke’s skin beneath her fingers. And not just the skin of his fingers or the back of his neck, but the warm, firm skin of his chest. “You look so cute!” 

“R-Really?” His laughter didn’t seem disingenuous, but as her feet touched the hot sand again, she couldn’t tell whether he really meant it or whether he was just trying to be nice. Honestly, either seemed possible.

“Yeah, really!” Luke’s smile seemed to drop a little, as if he were offended that she’d even begin to suggest that he was lying, and Hana suddenly felt bad, guilt pulling at her stomach. She nodded and took hold of his hand, awkwardly trying to avoid looking anywhere but the beach or his face.

“W-We should go join the others.” 

***

Hana wasn’t sure whether she expected the beach to be a place that would bring a bit of tranquility to the group, for the ocean to calm excited nerves, but it didn’t happen. If anything, it brought about more of a rush; running through the sea in an attempt to leap over the biggest wave, a competition to see which one of them could hold their breath underwater the longest, which Hana could’ve told them wouldn’t go well even before Caddy re-emerged choking on a mouthful of seawater, and then there was the duels. She regretted ever getting on top of Luke’s shoulders but she especially regretted it when Jimmy and Jeff came at them at top speed, ramming the two of them so hard that Luke lost his balance. 

That was when she realised that maybe the sea wasn’t for her. She let Luke pull her in for one last hug, wondering whether he thought that this would be the last time he ever saw her judging by the tightness of his hold, and made her way back to the shore. The beach that tickled her toes was hot and a welcome change from the frigid temperatures of the ocean, a beautiful white gold that sparkled in the sunlight, dotted with freckles of shells that lined its edges. It really was something else.

“Hey.” Hana smiled when she noticed Ian stretched out underneath an umbrella, hands tucked behind his head. He cracked open an eye and raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile on his lips.

“Hello. You look wet.”

She looked down at her feet and watched the wet strands of hair dangle in front her, saturated with a mix of salt and water, “Oh… Yes, I am.” She glanced back up and laughed a little sheepishly, awkwardly hovering for a moment before tentatively touching the towel he was lying on with her toe, “Can I…”

“Sit here?” Ian finished the sentence with a content hum and shrugged, shuffling off the towel and onto the sand, “Take it. It’ll help you dry off.” There was something about him that seemed different when he was by himself; he was gentle and soft spoken, maybe not in the conventional way of being _quiet_ but the way that he talked when he wasn’t surrounded by the rest of the group was… calm, at ease, almost happy. Definitely not the same intimidating, constantly pissed off student she’d met only a few months ago.

“Oh. Th-Thank you.” Hana nodded, carefully sitting down on the beach towel and staring up at the underside of the umbrella, the sun lighting it up like a stained glass window, it was beautiful really.

Ian shrugged again and sighed softly, letting his eyes fall closed, “It’s whatever.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around her knees, watching the figures of the rest of Hidden Block dive around in the water, raising her eyebrows in surprise when someone seemed to be walking towards them. Picking up the pace as he got closer, a stupid grin plastered on his face. 

Jeff.

“Ian!” He laughed, leaning down to prod at his side and smiling even wider when he was gifted with a quiet grumble of annoyance in return, “Ian, c’mon! You’re missing out on all the fun!” He reached out and grabbed hold of his wrist, gently tugging him up, “Please? Just for me?”

Hana was sure that she caught something like a smile on Ian’s face as he stood up, but, even if it was, it quickly melted away into a frown of annoyance, “Fine.” He muttered, glancing back over his shoulder as Jeff led him away, “Later, Hana.”

Something seemed oddly suspicious about those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading <3


	6. You, Me and the Sea (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get things out in the open (Jeff POV)

Jeff enjoyed the company of the rest of Hidden Block. They were high energy, enough to power the car they were driving, balls of uncontainable excitement and passion. Well. For the most part. There was still Ian, who seemed to be less and less willing to get involved in shenanigans by the day. He was calm and quiet, calculating each and every thing that anyone did, what they said, how they acted. It was a nice change of pace to spend time with someone so seemingly deep in thought the majority of the time. That was probably why he liked him.

That being said, just because he’d prefer to avoid the chaos, it didn’t mean he was allowed to.

Still buzzing from having won the most recent game of who-can-swim-the-furthest-without-getting-dangerously-close-to-being-pulled-out-to-sea, Jeff waved a hand to the others and began his climb back up the beach towards where he was pretty sure Ian and Hana had set up camp. The bright umbrellas dotted along the sand looked spectacular from afar, as if giant flowers emerging from an equally giant flower bed, the light reflecting off them in such a way that they almost seemed to be glowing.

“Ian!” Hana’s head lifted and Jeff couldn’t help but grin a little wider as he leant down, gently digging a finger just underneath his ribs and laughing happily when he got an annoyed grunt in response, “Ian, c’mon! You’re missing out on all the fun!” He raised an eyebrow and turned his head to look at Hana. She looked bemused, as if she was trying to figure something out, the gears in her head turning quicker and quicker. Maybe he should invite her along too? But.. she’d left for a reason, right? Maybe she’d join in again later.

“Please?” Jeff’s fingers wrapped around Ian’s wrist and he was sure that he caught a flicker of something other than disapproval in his half-closed eyes as he sat up, “Just for me?” He stepped back as Ian huffed and shook his head, rising up from the sand. He wasn’t an idiot, he saw the brief moment of happiness that passed across his face.

“Fine.” His heart almost leapt out of chest when Ian agreed and Jeff gave a quick wave to Hana before dragging him back down the beach, the breeze blowing a steady stream of sand around their feet. He didn’t know when it happened, or how, but his fingers had slipped to gently lace with Ian’s, the cool sensation of his skin against his own filling him with a determination to keep going. It was strange, there was something that felt so right about all of this, to be able to run down the beach with one of his best friends in tow, and yet… Jeff glanced back over his shoulder, hazel meeting blue for a brief second before he turned his attention back to the sea. No… There were no buts about it, It just felt right.

Jeff managed to convince Ian to join them in the water for a little bit, although he hardly looked like he was enjoying himself, especially when it was suggested that they go exploring further out. The idea of not being able to reach the bottom didn’t go over well and, before he had time to stop it or even knew what was going on, Caddy was flailing underneath the water, Ian’s hand pressed down on the back of his head to try and keep him there, only letting go when he was prised off. 

“What the _hell_?!” Caddy snapped, eyes narrowed, “You could’ve killed me, you bastard!” Ian simply shrugged, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Until Caddy tackled him into the water, limbs flying and shrieks of discomfort and surprise bouncing off the waves. Jeff couldn’t help but watch, amazed by the display. He’d tried to help but, well, there was really nothing he could do once the two of them got started; they just needed to wait it out and hope no one got injured.

Luckily, within half an hour, things seemed to settle down again, the water growing too cold for anyone to start hanging around without freezing to death, despite the heat of the sun above them. Ian seemed to be happy, at least, and Jeff was pretty sure that was a victory. He watched Luke stumble up the beach back towards where Hana was seated, the rest of the group following close behind, but reached out to take hold of Ian’ wrist when he went to follow.

“Wait.” He turned his head, wet hair flopping against his forehead, and Jeff grinned, tentatively reaching up to brush it away, content with himself when he earned a light flush of pink in response, “I… We should talk.” He nodded, satisfied with himself. Ian cast a glance over to the rest of the group and then down at their hands, wiggling his fingers slightly, as if uncomfortable. Jeff let go.

They started the walk up towards the cliffs, calling something vague back when Jimmy had shouted to ask where they going. Honestly, he didn’t know where they were going apart from somewhere relatively quiet and isolated. Where they could just think for a few moments without being disturbed. He loved Hidden Block, he really did, but there were times, like now, that he just needed to be alone. Well, alone with Ian.

He sighed heavily, looking out across the ocean, the waters that had once been a sparkling turquoise were now dark; a murky blue-brown that didn’t look nearly as inviting. Had it always looked like this or was this just how it changed as the day passed? “Well?” Jeff almost jumped, the sound of Ian’s voice cut through the air and he was sure that he felt the breeze itself still as it waited for some kind of answer. “What did you want to talk about?”

Oh, he knew. Jeff could tell that he knew full well what it was that he wanted to talk about; there was a nervous energy about him, one that he’d never really experienced before. Ian was normally so chill about everything that this… was strange. Almost a little disturbing to see him so subtly jittery. “Oh, right. Um…” He ran a hand through his hair, turning his gaze up the sky. The clouds looked threatening now, a blanket of grey suddenly overtaking the hanging lakes of blue that had been around only a couple of hours earlier. If nature was trying to be clever him, it wasn’t working. And it wasn’t funny.

“So… About _this_.” Jeff motioned between the two them, moving to reach out for Ian’s hand before thinking better of it and pulling away again, “What… What do you think?”

“What do I think?”

Jeff mentally kicked himself and cleared his throat, offering Ian a shaky smile, heart racing a million miles an hour, “Y-Yeah! What do you think? I mean, we’re friends, right? So.. This isn’t weird but..”

“It’s a little weird.”

Oh. That… wasn’t quite what he had in mind. “R-Right. But…”

“But I.. don’t mind weird, sometimes.”

Jeff blinked in surprise and watched as Ian shifted his eyes to look at something else, _anything else_ , a small grin spreading back across his lips. He took a step forward, ignoring the ominous shadows being cast across the beach beneath them, and rested his hand on the back of Ian’s neck. His lips were soft, warmer than the rest of his body too, a gentle flutter of moth wings against his own. This was it. He’d found perfection.

Jeff wasn’t sure how long they stood there, his fingers in the back of Ian’s hair and their foreheads pressed together, stupid smiles exchanged, but it was longer enough that, when they pulled away, he realised they were getting wet. The skies had opened, thick droplets of rain pelting down against their skin. He didn’t want to leave. Not yet.

“We should go..” Ian’s voice was like silk, smooth and comforting as he broke the final kiss, a small smirk barely visible, “They’ll be wondering where we got to.” Jeff wanted to protest, he wanted to beg for just five more minutes, but the longer they stood there, the colder it got and, honestly, he much preferred the idea of being squashed up against Ian in a warm car than out in the rain. He nodded, a broad smile plastered on his face as he pressed one more kiss to his lips.

“Fine. We’ll continue this conversation later.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! If you have any suggestions, please let me know at ellieofmidnight.tumblr.com/ask <3


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